(Skt); dbu ma pa (Tib). The Mahayana philosophy of the Middle way between the two extremes of Nihilism and Eternalism. The doctrine of emptiness expounded by the Madhyamika school asserts that all phenomena, whether mental or physical, lack inherent existence. Their existence is relative, and depends on causes and conditions, including the labels assigned to them. Nevertheless, relative existence is accepted, unlike the Nihilist view, which does not accept even relative existence. Madhyamika differs from the Eternalist viewpoint by rejecting the existence of ultimate, permanent existence, particularly with regard to the existence of a permanent individual ‘soul’. See also Eternalism and Nihilism.